Apparatus for lettering or marking articles by means of a laser beam

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for lettering or marking articles by means of a laser beam, comprising a laser to produce a laser beam and a focussing optical system to produce a larger radiation density on the surface of the article wherein a lens system is provided the focussing plane of which constitutes an area which is curved away from the lens system.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to German Patent Application No. 20101247.2, filed in the German Patent Office on Jan. 24, 2001.

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for lettering or marking articles by means of a laser beam.

[0002] It has been known for a rather long time to mark articles, particularly packaging materials, by using laser beams. Scanning systems or mask-employing systems may be used for this purpose. In the former case, two rotary mirrors are arranged at right angles to each other to enable the deflected laser beam to sweep over each point of a two-dimensional area. The mask-employing system passes a laser beam through a mask in a pulse-like manner to produce the lettering or marking in a single operation.

[0003] It is known to focus the light beam onto the surface of the workpiece with a view to achieving higher power densities and better lettering qualities, as a result. So-called F-Theta optical systems are employed for this purpose. These possess a planar focal area so that the variation in spacing is compensated by the focal area, which normally is spherically symmetrical, particularly at the borders of the plane being lettered.

[0004] Another possible way to vary the length of focus in a way depending on the solid angle of the deflected laser beam is to mechanically vary the focal length of the lens system. This requires to mechanically move the lenses, which involves a considerable expenditure in equipment.

[0005] It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for lettering or marking articles that have a cylindrical surface.

[0006] According to the invention, the object is attained by a lens system the focussing plane of which constitutes an area which is curved away from the lens system.

[0007] Various possible ways are imaginable to conceive such a lens system. According to an aspect of the invention, the lens system has a first, defocussing lens and a second, focussing lens. According to another aspect of the invention, the defocussing lens has a slightly concave/plane lens and the second lens has a plano-/convex or slightly concave/convex lens. According to a further aspect of the invention, the second lens is formed as a cylindrical lens. When cylindrical surfaces are lettered the spacing between the surface and the lens system will vary with the curvature of the cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface forms a straight line perpendicularly thereto in one direction each. It is understood that the lens system will take account of this circumstance.

[0008] The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to a drawing.

[0009] The single FIGURE shows a lens assembly according to the invention which uses two laser beams for lettering or marking a cylindrical surface.

[0010] An article which is not shown in detail, e.g. a bottle, has a surface 10 the curvature of which is in the plane of the drawing. Two laser beams 12 and 14 are shown which originate from a laser or deflection mirror. The X axis, for example, may lie in the surface of the deflection mirror. The laser beam 12 or 14 has a certain extension in width. It penetrates through a lens system 16 which focusses the laser beams 12, 14 on the surface 10 as is shown at 18 and 20, respectively. However, the laser beams 12, 14 not only undergo a deflection in the plane of the drawing, but also in a direction perpendicular thereto. Such a deflection for lettering or marking by means of a deflection mirror is generally known, however.

[0011] The lens system 16 has a first, slightly concave/plane lens 22 and a second, plano/convex lens 24 behind it, which is formed as a cylindrical lens in the section shown, but is a normal convex lens in a direction perpendicular thereto. The refractive index of the lens 22 is smaller than that of the lens 24. The first lens 22 has a defocussing effect and the second one has a focussing effect. Anyway, the assembly of the lenses 22, 24 is such as to focus these on the surface 10 whatever the solid angle of the laser beams 12, 14 is.

[0012] Basically, however, the principle depicted in the above description is also applicable to so-called mask systems in which a mask produced by punching in a mirror-image manner will form the article to be marked. Finally, it is also possible to letter areas moving on a cylindrical surface. To this effect, the speed of the moved marking field is compensated by an appropriate control on the scanner while lettering is effected. 

1. An apparatus for lettering or marking articles by means of a laser beam, comprising a laser to produce a laser beam and a focussing optical system to produce a higher radiation density on the surface of the article, characterized in that a lens system (16) is provided the focussing plane of which constitutes an area (10) which is curved away from the lens system (16).
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a first, defocussing lens and a second, focussing lens (22, 24) are provided.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that a slightly concave/plane lens (22) and a plano-/convex or slightly concave/convex lens (24) are provided.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the second lens (24) is formed as a cylindrical lens.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the refractive index of the first lens (22) is smaller than that of the second lens (24).
 6. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the refractive index of the first lens (22) is smaller than that of the second lens (24).
 7. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the refractive index of the first lens (22) is smaller than that of the second lens (24). 